Two Kisan Mahapanchayats: Crowds swelled in both, Dallewal was brought on a stretcher
#News Bureau January 5,2025
Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose hunger strike entered the 40th day, said the Morcha will win. He urged farmers to send one trolley from every village in Punjab to the Khanauri protest site. Dallewal was addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ called by farmer unions at the Khanauri protest site near Patiala on Saturday. A huge crowd gathered at the Khanauri border site on the occasion. This is the fourth major show of strength by farmers in less than a month. In Tohana, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait raised the issue of MSP and Swaminathan Committee. The official statement of SKM National is below in this report.
How Dallewal came on stage
A few hours before the ‘Mahapanchayat’ in Khanauri, Dallewal agreed to undergo an ECG test. He was then brought on stage. A makeshift camp was erected on the stage from where Dallewal addressed the huge crowd. A farmer leader said, it was a challenge to bring Dallewal on stage amid the extreme cold and bad weather as his BP was fluctuating.
Addressing the mahapanchayat, Dallewal thanked the people for coming in large numbers. Dallewal said that the police made several attempts to detain him but the volunteers foiled them. He said- “I understand that it is difficult to implement a legal guarantee on MSP. But this does not mean that we should sit and do nothing about it.” Dallewal said that seven lakh farmers of the country have died due to debt. But the Supreme Court is only talking about my health. Doctors had advised Dallewal not to speak for long. Therefore his speech remained brief.
Farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotda said that the parallel protest by SKM (All India) in Tohana, Haryana had no effect on their protest. He said that the farmers’ journey was hampered due to dense fog in the morning and by 2 pm most of them reached the venue.
SKM National’s statement: In its statement, the United Kisan Morcha has said that the farmers organized a Mahapanchayat at two places (Tohana-Khanauri) and gave a stern warning to the Modi government to immediately withdraw the draft of the national format of agricultural marketing and hold talks with the farmer organizations. The Tohana Mahapanchayat was presided over by the board of presidents formed by all the organizations. The speakers expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health condition of Sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on a fast unto death, and said that if anything happens to him, the Central and Haryana governments will be responsible for it
On this occasion, Jogendra Singh Ugrahan said that the draft released on November 25 will put the grain trade in the hands of the corporates. A very sharp and big fight will have to be fought against the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund. Rakesh Tikait said that the plan to hold the next agitation around KMP (Kundli Manesar Pavalav National Highway) will be placed before the United Kisan Morcha. He said that the Haryana government is misleading the people regarding the minimum support price of 24 crops. The central government should take steps to save the life of senior leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast unto death. He said that the committee of senior leaders formed by the United Kisan Morcha for unity is making efforts.
Senior farmer leaders announced that the National General Body Meeting has been called to be held in Delhi on January 24, in which the phase of the further movement will be announced. The Maha Panchayat passed a resolution rejecting the draft of the national format of the agricultural market presented by Comrade Indrajit Singh unanimously and all the Gram Panchayats were requested to reject this proposal and send it to the central government by January 10.
SKM National said that the national leaders who participated included Jogendra Singh Ugrahan, Rakesh Tikait, Dr. Darshan Pal, Krishna Prasad, Raminder Patiala, Manjit Singh Dhaner, Sukhdev Jammu, R. Venkaiah, Satyawan, Suresh Koth, Baldev Nihalgarh, Indrajit Singh, Amrik Singh, Kiran Jeet Sheikhon, Jogendra Nain, Vikas Sisar, Rulda Singh Mansa, Prem Singh Gehlawat, Karam Jeet Singh, Master Balbir, Harjinder Nanuana, Baba Gurdeep Singh, Subedar Ranbir Malik, Jagmati Sangwan.
